Figuring it Out
by shylakola
Summary: What is going through Hermione's mind just before she is petrified in C of S? Pretty much the thought process that leads her to well, figure it out. Please R&R! It would make me happy!


Disclaimer:  Harry Potter is not mine, the concept and characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Please don't sue me.  As the great Wayne and Garth (not mine either) said, "I'm not worthy."

A/N Please R&R.  This is the result of what happens when you procrastinate from studying for finals.  The idea for this came to me a couple of days ago (indecently after watching the movie, hmmm…)  This is pretty much the last part of _Chamber of Secrets entirely told from Hermione's POV, meant to be mostly her train of thought, and how she comes to her conclusions.  This might be a one time thing, or I might add another chapter or two… (the next one would be what goes through her head while she's petrified- supposing the petrified person is mentally conscious, while their body is petrified) it's up to you, the readers though.  Totally a rush job, and it might not be totally accurate to the book/movie, but bear with me.  I hope you like.  I only looked at the book briefly to grab the one quote which I cited, so if there are inaccurate details… well like I said; bear with me.  _

**I Figured It Out!**

"Think Hermione, think!"  I tell myself. I need to find out what is in the Chamber of Secrets, before it's too late.  I rush to the library.  Harry's Quidditch game is in an hour, so I have some time to look it up, when a theory pops into my head, I act on it, and see if I'm right.  It's what I do.  I have a general idea as to what the monster might be.  I'm sure I read somewhere about a creature who petrifies people, or kills them or something.  I've read so much that it's hard to absorb so much information, but the situation is vaguely familiar to something I've read, I'm sure of it.  Roosters are found dead, spiders are acting very un-spider like, and it's like they're afraid of something.  

I pull out a book about monsters and beasts and whatnot.  It may help, or it may not.  As I skim through it, I try and piece together the puzzle.  "OK, what do all the victims have in common?" I ask myself.  "Let's see," I think to myself.  "How were they all found?  Mrs. Norris?  She was hanging by her tail… Colin, he was holding his camera, about to take a picture I guess… Justin was positioned looking at Nearly Headless Nick and he was just floating, all black and strange…"

I flip through the book pondering these things.  They seemed to have nothing in common in the way they were found.  "OK Hermione, what else was significant then?" I wonder.  "What else was present when Mrs. Norris was found?  Water.  OK.  What about Colin, or Justin or Nick?  I don't know if there was a lot of water where Colin was found, but maybe that's not what I'm looking for.  Well they were all petrified, with their eyes open… terrified looks on their faces, so the fact that they were petrified while they were looking at their attacker means something.  That must be the key."

I shut the book.  It is getting me no where.  Of course my train of thought is going into overdrive.  I never seem to stop thinking.  I skim through the shelves, thinking.  Always thinking.  Honestly, one of these days, all this thinking is going to drive me insane, my brain is going to overload and poof!  I'll be just a mindless vegetable.  I let out a soft giggle. Yeah, like that'll ever happen.  I read in a book somewhere that keeping ones mind active will prevent such a thing, and prevent things like dementia, and Alzheimer's.  Keeping the mind in motion, always thinking increases your I.Q.  I read that in a book somewhere too.  That reminds me, I need to start studying for Potions.  There's a test next week… OK, back on topic. Think Hermione. 

Harry heard voices in the walls.  Then there is the diary that said that Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago.  I can't buy it.  It's not like Hagrid to do such a thing. Of course, he is crazy about animals, and monsters and stuff, maybe he was innocent, and thought he was doing the creature a favor. I could just see Hagrid, "I didn't mean to, I fel' sorry for the thing, all cooped up in there…" Besides, if Hagrid really did do that, intending to kill, why would Dumbledore trust him so much, and let him work here?  It also obvious that the culprit, this infamous Heir of Slytherin, would hate muggle-borns like me.  Hagrid is my friend, so he definitely doesn't hate muggle-borns.  He's too nice, and he wouldn't do it.

I think the creature is a snake.  Why?  Because Harry heard voices in the wall.  He is a Parselmouth.  That would explain why only Harry could hear the voices.  Who opened the Chamber? If it isn't Harry, (he would never do something like opening the Chamber of Secrets, at least, not on purpose) nor is it Hagrid, (I can't see him doing it.  Even if he did do it in the past, why would he do it again?  It would only arouse suspicion, and prove his past guilt and maybe they'd even send him to Azkaban) then who is the Heir of Slytherin that opened the Chamber? 

I put that thought aside as I open yet another book, this one is about snakes.  I should try and find out what kind of a snake it is if I am right before I figure out who opened the Chamber.  Sooner or later someone is going to be killed.  Someone was killed fifty years ago, I need to figure this out before it happens again. I hope the Professors are getting somewhere with finding this out.  I've never seen them so scared.

I flip through the book, scanning the pages, thinking about what the creature is.  Most likely a snake.  Here's one!  Basilisk.  I read:  _"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it._" (C of S, 215) Oh my goodness!  This is it!  It's a Basilisk!  Spiders fear it… that explains why they seem to be fleeing.  The crow of a rooster kills it… that explains why the roosters are being slaughtered.

My train of thought is interrupted by Ginny, who taps me on the shoulder.  She is looking so pale and frightened.  "Ginny?  Are you OK?" I whisper.

She nods, but she doesn't seem sure.  "Hermione, I- I have to tell you something," she sounds so small.  She's clutching her books tightly.  

"What is it?" I ask.  I'd tell her about my discovery, but she doesn't look like she'd be able to handle any major news, she seems so frightened.

Ginny looks at my book, and it doesn't seem possible, but she manages to turn yet another shade paler.  As I look at her, I get this strange thought that the person looking at me right now is not Ginny.  Strange thought.  Dazed, she drops her books, she jumps, as though being startled out of a trance.  Frantically she bends down to scoop them up, first diving for the black water stained book, before picking up the other ones.  I am too excited to take heed of the book, even though it looks oddly familiar.  I help her pick up the remaining books scattered on the floor.  "Th-thanks," she whispers anxiously, I notice now she seems to be trying to hide the book.  "I- I'm so sorry Hermione, I have to go now," she says before heading off.

I watch her strangely and go back to my research.  I'll talk to her later, but now I have to focus on my findings. I am so excited.  Now we know what the thing is.  A Basilisk.  I read the passage again.  This time trying to guess how it manages to get around unseen. Of course, it is so obvious!  I quickly scribble down the obvious answer on the page, "Pipes."  It went through the pipes.  But another mystery comes up.  If its stare is deadly, then why has no one died yet?  Things are fitting together so easily now, grinning I realize, no one looked the Basilisk in the eye directly. Mrs. Norris looked at it through it's reflection in the water, Colin through his camera, Justin through Nearly Headless Nick, who, being dead couldn't die again.  Taking a breath I rip out the page of the library book.  I normally don't do such a thing, but this is too important, and too urgent.  I am about to rush out of the library to tell Professor Dumbledore, or Professor McGonagall, when another thought hits me.  I had better be careful.  Now that I know, I should take precautions.  

I look and see a Ravenclaw girl about to head out of the library, I recognize her as Penelope Clearwater, one of the prefects.  "Um, hey, are you going to the Quidditch game?" I ask.

She nods.  

"Listen, you wouldn't happen to have a mirror on you, would you?" I ask.

"Yeah," she replies, taking it out of her purse, "Why?"

My heart skips an excited beat, I take a breath and reply, "I think I found out what is in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Are you serious?" Penelope asks, her eyes widening as she hands me the mirror. 

I nod, showing her the paper and explaining my theory. Listening to myself talk, I realize that I do sound like a know-it all.  But I shrug, that's just who I am, and this is too important to keep to myself.  "I think it's safe for everyone if we look around the corners before we proceed if I'm correct," I say, "At least until the Basilisk is taken care of.  I'm going to the game to tell everyone."

Penelope nods, "I think that sounds like a good idea." 

So, with that I look outside the library through the mirror.  Nothing.  "Ok, it's clear," I say and we begin our journey towards the Quidditch pitch.  As usual, especially now that I know what the thing is, my mind is going into hyper overdrive.  Who?  Who is the Heir of Slytherin?  That diary Harry found.  I don't trust it.  I don't see how anyone could trust an enchanted diary that wrote back.  Not only that, but take you back in time so you can see what happened?  It's informative, but something doesn't seem right. The diary belonged to Tom Riddle, Harry found it in Myrtle's bathroom, and then it was stolen recently.  Could there be some connection to the diary and the Heir of Slytherin?  But the diary had to have been stolen by a Gryffindor.  Wait a minute!  That book Ginny was holding… oh my goodness, its Tom Riddle's diary!  No wonder she seems so pale, and afraid.  It all makes sense.  The poor girl has a crush on Harry, and she's kinda left out of everything, so like most girls, she writes in a diary.  Who wouldn't want to have a diary that you could tell all your secrets to, especially if you're a lonely 11 year old girl with a hopeless crush, like Ginny?  Well, me.  I don't like diaries, but Ginny seems like the type.  

OK, think Hermione, what if… what if Hagrid was innocent fifty years ago?  What if the real culprit needed a scapegoat?  And what if that culprit used his status as prefect, and Hagrid's love of magical creatures and acted like Hagrid's pet was the monster?  What if the real Heir of Slytherin was actually the "hero", Tom Riddle?  What if he is the Heir again, only using Ginny to do his dirty work, through the diary?  I don't know how, but it makes sense.  If the diary could take Harry back in time to show him what happened, then I'm sure it could control Ginny's mind.  No wonder she seems so nervous!    My heart is beating like crazy as the realization comes to me.  Suddenly another thought rushes into my busy brain, Moaning Myrtle.  She died about fifty years ago?  What if… oh if I am right… I have to ask her how she died.  Oh my goodness… if I'm right about all this, I have to tell someone, now, before anyone else gets petrified, or killed.

Penelope and I reach a corner.  Clutching the paper in one hand, and holding the mirror out in the other I say breathlessly, "Penelope, I think I figured it out!  I know who the Heir of Sly…" I don't get to finish my sentence.  In the mirror I see two horrifying, yellow eyes staring into mine…   


End file.
